In-depth analysis and historic data and market forecasts for the smartphone market globally and by country. Smartphone Intelligence Service - Premium delivers detailed data on smartphone shipments by OEM as well the active installed base of smartphones by feature, down to model level. The reports in this service provide actionable recommendations based on these unique data sets.

Also included are insights and analysis on topics such as augmented/mixed reality (AR/VR/MR), 5G, gigabit LTE, machine learning and AI in smartphones, and voice assistants.

At its Unpacked event in San Francisco today, Samsung unveiled the 10th anniversary Galaxy S flagship smartphone models. The Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e represent a new design language moving into the next decade of smartphone designs, which undoubtably will include 5G and foldable phones.

As wireless industry start 2019, we will now see a new batch of competitive 5G solutions offered by the likes of Intel, Mediatek, Samsung LSI and HiSilicon poise to challenge the leading position of Qualcomm.

The global 5G transition is poised to take place at a faster pace than any previously wireless generation transition. The industry has been moving in lock-step as a common technology standard drives carrier adoption and capital investment in 5G network technology. ...

Dataset that includes forecasts of shipment volumes (by feature), model introductions (by feature), and model design starts for the Top 30 brands that collectively account for 90%+ of the global market.

Every decade or so, a new technology or device format is unveiled that immediately disrupts the market. Apple was the instigator in 2007, and the iPhone upended the mobile phone industry. More than a decade later, the smartphone market is now showing signs of stagnation. The latest designs from various companies are starting to look more alike, which is making brand differentiation difficult.

What Apple has done with the iPhone Xr design is to implicitly acknowledge that after a decade of launching new iPhone designs, their high-end smartphone models have reached a point where their performance and feature sets have exceeded the market demand for them. The goal of the iPhone Xr is to hit all the right design notes that appeal to the mainstream consumer, such as large displays, fast processors, long battery life and – most importantly – relative affordability.

At its “Made by Google” event, Google announced its latest Pixel smartphones. Just like in previous years, there are two models. As with other devices in the Pixel line of devices, Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are premium devices with corresponding price points. However, for the first time, Google is the manufacturer on record (according to FCC filings) as opposed to their historical use of HTC and LG as ODMs.

After launching the P20-series earlier in the year, Huawei is looking towards the latest edition of its Mate series to continue the company’s momentum to retain a spot in the global Top 3 smartphone OEMs.
Huawei presented a host of devices for the premium smartphone segment as well as a gaming focused handset which is becoming more popular in their domestic Chinese market. Huawei also renewed its partnership with Porsche Design. Additionally, the company launched two new wearables, the Watch GT and Band 3 Pro.

Apple announced its latest iPhone models today: iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max and iPhone Xr. The company is attempting to create more iPhone options, while moving its whole portfolio further up into the premium segment. Apple has completed its hardware design refresh that started with iPhone X, and moves to an all-notch display line-up.

Amidst news of slowing Galaxy smartphone sales, Samsung has announced its follow-up to the Note series with the Note 9. In an elaborate event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Samsung unveiled its latest iteration of the Note series flagship. The new Note 9 did not stray far from the success of the Note 8, which in turn resurrected the Note series after the Note 7 battery debacle. New features include...

As the smartphone industry passes its decade-long run being the most popular consumer electronics of all time, the market is beginning to see signs of maturation and slowdown. Smartphone OEMs are now competing on innovations in form factor (i.e. the move to larger and bezel-less displays), cameras (i.e. biometric sensors and computational photography) as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI) services...

Total year-over-year global smartphone shipments increased 2 percent, reaching 345.5 million units in the first quarter of 2018. However, seasonality took its toll, driving shipment volume down by 11 percent quarter over quarter.

The US Department of Commerce has activated a Denial Order against ZTE Corporation.
The order, in its current form, states that ZTE may not be involved in any transaction involving any commodity, software or technology exported or to be exported from the United States that is subject to Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
The Denial Order expires on March 13th, 2025.
ZTE relies heavily on technology and software from US vendors like Qualcomm and Google.

The decision handed down by the Trump administration essentially put an end to the months-long $117B hostile bid by Broadcom (AVGO) for Qualcomm (QCOM). Trump cited national security and US competitiveness in the upcoming 5G transition as reasons to block the troubled acquisition. However, behind the scenes, a clearer picture is emerging as to the threat that US perceives China – specifically Huawei - as being on the future competitiveness in the wireless sector of the market. Thus, this business-friendly administration ultimately yielded to national interests in handing down their decision.